Nicolò Cultrera

Nutrheff Thematic
Biomolecular technologies (enzymatic, biochemical, molecular biology), Food processing technology, Sensory and consumer sciences

Nutraceuticals and foods of interest
Important secondary pathways healt metabolites of the chloroplast are intimately linked to the primary lipid. The study on the aggregation of subsequent reactions in a multi-enzymatic complex within the chloroplast does not suffer from the drawbacks with respect to metabolisms catalyzed by spatially separated enzymes: recognition of the transit peptide of the proteins involved and easy reconstruction of their folding; absence of competitive reactions, which tend to steal intermediates; prodromal efficiency of substrates that are not dispersed into the environment. Plastid enzymes show significant sequence similarity between plants and cyanobacteria, which facilitates the isolation of orthologous genes guided by comparative genomic studies between the two groups of organisms. Functional genomics studies are also needed to make significant advances in translational research. The aim is to use the knowledge acquired to know and manipulate the levels of metabolites in food crops for nutraceutical, clinical, therapeutic and pharmaceutical purposes, for the formulation of appropriate dosages with positive effects on metabolic syndromes that include a reduced risk of morbidity and mortality.

Fields of application
Studies of plant genomics, physiology and biochemistry; studies of the genetic bases and molecular mechanisms that regulate functioning, reproduction, evolution and relations with the environment in fruit-crop claims. Studies of primary and secondray metabolites and multifunctional bioactive compounds in everyday human life and health increasing their potential content in fruits. Knowledge on the target genes involved in the biosynthesis and regulation of bioactive compounds is then needed for developing marker-assisted selection breeding strategies. new olive-breeding programs aimed to improve the profile of health-promoting bioactive compounds for Translational medicine.

Facilities and equipments
The CNR-IBBR (Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources) UOS of Perugia has fully equipped laboratories to carry out studies of genetics, genomics and in vitro cultures. The main equipment includes: Capillary Sequencer 3130 Genetic Analyzer, Real Time PCR System, Sequencing System MINION Nanopore Technology, Robot Freedom EVO 75/2 automatic liquid dispenser, Fluorescence microscope for LCM (Laser Capture Microdissector), Experimental greenhouses, tunnels, climatic cells, growth chambers, experimental fields, apparatuses for propagation, breeding and evaluation of plants.